Reaching Santiago...Joyful tears

We’re walking machines. Over the past 45 days we’ve crossed the entire width of Spain — mountains, high plains, river valleys. A total of one million steps along a 1000-year-old pilgrimage route.

It came to an end on June 2^nd with our arrival in Santiago de Compostela. 

The beauty of the Camino

Our route, the Camino Francais (The French Way), is one of seven ancient pilgrimage routes that meet in Santiago. 

So as we wound our way through the city we flowed into a river of pilgrims. The call of Galatian bagpipers pulled us into a plaza and suddenly we were looking up at St. James high among the Cathedral spires.

A million steps...

We had no preconceived idea of what our feelings would be when our feet finally delivered us to our pilgrimage destination. Around us pilgrims were crying, many were yelling, some were splayed out on their backs looking at the cathedral and the blue sky.

We just stood there being happy and numb, absorbing the sights and sounds, completely wrapped up in the moment.

At noon, we attended the Pilgrims Mass in the Cathedral. We carried all our prayers...and the prayers of family and friends with us.  

Blessings were delivered in many languages. This was followed by a thundering organ with responsive singing and a homily about pilgrims carrying their light into the world. Then the huge incense burner (botafumeiro) began swinging through the transepts, filling the entire cathedral with sweet smelling smoke.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_s2Rf0Z0eE

This was the moment when we both began crying, letting the Camino wash through us. We stayed on after mass and, on our knees, said the prayer we’ve shared every day all along the way.

It’s going to be a long time before we absorb and understand our pilgrimage journey. For John the Camino was his interlude, an opportunity to molt 40 years of a working career and begin the process of renewal and regrowth in retirement.

When I started the trip, I thought I would gain a great epiphany on the next steps for life.  And I did.  Live in the moment.  Be open to new ideas.  Instead of plan, plan, planning everything ... simply trust and follow the yellow arrow ahead.  Appreciate where you are.  Trust in God to lead you where you need to be.  Relax.

We got stamps along the Camino -- and then took our passports to the Pilgrims office to get our Compostela (certificate of completion) in Latin

The Way...